1999 — Venus and Serena Williams become the first sisters to win WTA Tour events on the same day. Venus wins the IGA SuperThrift Tennis Classic in Oklahoma City after Serena takes her first title on the WTA Tour at the Gaz de France Open.

February 26, 2009

Serena Williams, the reigning U.S. Open and Australian Open champion, will play French Open winner Ana Ivanovic, after Wimbledon Champion Venus Williams battles Jelena Jankovic in a pair of one-set "semifinals." The winners will then play a best-of-three final. Tune to HBO Monday night at 7:30pm EST for LIVE action at "The Garden."

Monica Seles recently did an interview with FoxSports in reference to the upcoming Youth Registration Night / Tennis Night in America (@ the BNP Paribas Showdown for the Billie Jean King Cup). Randy Sparage asked Monica the following:

Monica, Serena Williams looked great winning the Australian Open last month, do you think she's ready to dominate this entire season?"She sure looked like it. She was in full form. She's in great shape. Mentally she was very strong. So it will be interesting to see. As long as she can stay healthy I think that's a very realistic possibility."Which opponents gave you the most trouble?"Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graff, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, all the past great number ones."

February 25, 2009

Shape Magazine has partnered with Nike to bring you a free “Power Boost” audio workout designed to tone your entire body and improve your strength and stamina. Serena Williams coaches you every step of the way, encouraging you through several speed bursts that are interspersed with sculpting moves. Developed by award-winning fitness instructor Jay Blahnik, the coached workout lasts 41 minutes and 58 seconds. To get the free download, click on the following link: Download SHAPE’s exclusive Nike SportMusic coached workout featuring Serena Williams

Serena Williams has teamed up with Gatorade G2 (at Hollywood's famed Roosevelt Hotel) to select who will appear alongside her in a new national "Everyday Athletes" ad campaign for the Gatorade G2 low-calorie sports drink. The G2 Everyday Athlete Search featured five semi-finalists -- all named Serena -- who traveled to the event from around the country to discuss their personal stories of how sports and exercise have helped them overcome a challenge or allowed them to reach and accomplish a significant, personal goal.A casting panel consisting of Serena Williams, and representatives from Shape Magazine and Gatorade G2 selected winner Serena Cuevas, 23, from San Diego, Calif. based on Cuevas' story of growing up with a passion to dance that was sidetracked by a horrific car accident at the age of 17. She was told by the doctors she may never dance again. With determination and passion, Cuevas recovered and went on to compete in national and international salsa competitions, as well as establish her own dance company -- Deseo Dance Company -- in San Diego.

Cuevas will appear with Serena Williams in the national ad campaign beginning this spring that will help draw attention to the Gatorade brand's broadened definition of what it means to be an athlete. If your body is moving, Gatorade considers you an athlete. In addition to Serena Williams, G2 is also unveiling three more "everyday athlete" ads, featuring the NBA's Kevin Garnett, WNBA's Candace Parker, and Gold Medal Beach Volleyball star Kerri Walsh with their "everyday athlete" counterparts.

The G2 Everyday Athlete Search, part of the new G campaign, is a call to action for all active people, not only to think about Gatorade in new and exciting ways, but also to search for compelling ways they can challenge themselves to achieve while promoting the low-calorie benefit of the beverage with a tagline of "Less Calories for More Athletes."

February 23, 2009

Serena attended two Oscar-related parties on last evening: The 17th Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Award Viewing Party and the Fox Searchlight Official 'Slumdog Millionaire'/'The Wrestler' post Oscar party at One Sunset in West Hollywood, California.

February 22, 2009

Tune in Tuesday as Serena appears on the Ellen Degeneres Show. This episode is the Ellen's Mardi Gras Show which also features Raphael Saadiq and Richard Simmons reporting live from New Orleans. Check your local listings for time and station.

February 20, 2009

Serena will surely bounce back from this loss, as she always does but it now appears that Venus is truly "rising" and making Serena nervous. Serena's first set was horrible (as evidenced by six of her seven double faults occuring in this set). I'm not going to say "had this" or "had that happened blah, blah, blah" but what I will say is Serena must now commit to "taking" it to Venus. It might even help to create a "visual" of Jelena, Ana, Maria or even Justine while playing Venus. (She enters THE ZONE more often times than not when playing those lady ballers).

I could not help but wonder what happened to the Serena that appeared for the quarterfinal demolition of Ana Ivanovic. Venus is slowly turning the tables on Serena: the loss at Wimbledon (which Serena came out firing on all cylinders and appeared to be heading for victory), the loss at the Sony Ericcson Championships (a blow out) and today, a sloppy start with some erratic patches of play throughout. Don't get it twisted, Serena's physical knee pain was very visible but I think Venus played the crucial points just a little bit better than Serena today.

As a fan (because I'm definitely no one's coach), I want Serena to (above all else) focus on remaining healthy / fit, stay focused until the end of the match, move her feet (quicker and more often), hold her (sensational) serve, remain consistently aggressive (that's when she's at her unbeatable best), consistently take advantage of the break point opportunities and practice that (ill-advised) drop shot. Serena is a great on court thinker / warrior and awesome point constructor. It just seems like her knee (which caused her some discomfort) might have done her in (and was a point of distraction) for the duration of the match. Make no mistake, Venus won this battle but Serena will win the war.

Serena on her serve and the match:"I think my serve has gone somewhere on vacation and I need to go there and catch up with it. I didn't serve well. Venus played well, and served really well, which was the difference."

Serena on resting: "I am looking forward to a break before I play Miami. I really need it and I think it will be good for my knee. I have never played so much tennis in my whole career and I'm a little tired”

Venus has defeated Serena 6-1,2-6,7-6(3) in Semifinal action at the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships. It appeared that Venus was going to run away with the match but Serena fought back in the 2nd set. Although Serena was obviously in pain from that ever-aching knee, she fought until the very end. There were a few questionable calls but that's water under the bridge. Serena was only serving at 38% in the first set. For the match she accumulated 7 aces and 7 double faults. (6 of the double faults were in the FIRST set). Congratulations Venus and good luck in the championship match.

Serena continues to roll. She defeated Ana Ivanovic 6-4, 6-4 in quarterfinal action at the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships. Serena advances to the semis where she will take on very familiar foe, her sister, Venus!

Serena has defeated Zheng Jie 6-4, 6-2 and has advanced to the Quarterfinals where she will do battle with Ana Ivanovic. INTERESTING STAT: Serena has played Ana only ONCE, beating her at the 2006 US Open 6-2, 6-4.

Oracene Price, mother of Venus and Serena Williams, is one cool, level-headed lady. Here are her thoughts on her daughters playing against each other:"I just tell them to remember they are sisters and how love and how to care for one another is more important than anything, so, this is just a game and eventually it would be over and you will have to live with each other. So, just go out there and do your best and whoever wins, wins. And whoever loses, better luck next time." Having said that, Price admits she keeps her distance from whoever comes out second best, in any match. "They don't want to be talked to, they don't want you telling them anything, they just want to be left alone and that's what I do," she told CNN.

Serena has defeated Sara Errani 4-6, 6-2, 6-0 in 2nd Round action at the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships. That third set bagel was indeed tasty but as we have come to accept, there are times when Serena starts really slow, and that she did. Credit to Serena, she always fights (regardless of how bad she might be playing) and finds a way to win. That's what CHAMPIONS do! Match Stats: 47 winners, 31 errors, 9 aces, 7 seven double faults and 1 hour and 41 minutes of match play. Serena's 3rd Round opponent will be Jie Zheng of China.

By Rohan Alvares, Sports Reporter for XPressA winner of all four grand slams, the thrill of the world number one ranking which she presently holds and her Australian Open win last month made her the all-time career prize money leader among any female athlete. Is there really any territory left for Serena Williams to conquer? “I’ve never won [the Dubai] tournament so that would be nice,” she said with her trademark grin. In the kind of form she has been, only a recurrence of the knee injury she suffered at the Paris Indoors event could prevent her from lifting the women’s crown at the 2009 Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships this weekend.

But Williams, speaking on the eve of her opening match against Italian Sara Errani, assured all she will be fit and raring to go when she walks out onto centre court at the Avaition Club on Tuesday. “It’s better. I didn’t practice much yesterday but it’s better today,” she said. The highest prize money earner she well may be, but Williams is as aware as anybody about the world’s bleak economic situation. Which is why she is keen to avoid the repercussions of pulling out of tournaments these days. “I’m not into paying the 100 thousand dollar fines, especially in these economic times,” she said. If all goes according to plan, Williams could set up a mouth-watering weekend semifinal clash with elder sister Venus. “Every time we play we play in the same half [of the draw],” said Williams adding, “She is my biggest competition and the only player who pushes me to new levels. And I think our level of matchplay is now really high. Our games have gotten closer and we are now neck and neck.”

And what’s it like returning to the summit of the women’s rankings? “It’s cool to be number one. It’s important but at the same time for me I don’t worry about it too much. I just take things as they go everyday. If I’m number one great, if not I just try to keep winning tournaments. “I take every match very seriously. It doesn’t matter whom I’m playing. I feel when people play against me they bring their best game. So I have to be serious as everyone’s my rival,” she said.

Serena pulled out of her semifinal match (Saturday) with a knee injury. Number one seed Williams had secured her place in the last four Friday defeating French qualifier Emilie Loit 6-4, 6-1, although the American was made to work much harder than she had done in her opening two matches. In Sunday's final Dementieva will meet revitalised Frenchwoman Amelie Mauresmo who stunned Serbian second seed Jelena Jankovic 6-2, 0-6, 6-1.

Williams, fresh from her Australian Open win, said she had felt pain during her match with Loit. "My knees have been really good, and I'm really optimistic. I think they'll continue to be really good," said Williams who is due to play in Dubai next week. "I just have been playing a lot of tennis, so maybe it's just a sign that I'll need to take a day or two off and get ready for the next event."

Serena has defeated Emilie Loit in Quarterfinal action Friday, 6-4, 6-1, (at the Open Gaz de France). The match lasted 1 hour and 6 minutes. Serena has advanced to the Semifinal where she will take on Elena Dementieva.

February 12, 2009

In the March 2009 issue of TENNIS MAGAZINE (page 16), Charlie Bricker did a Q&A with Justine Henin. The Q&A is titled, "The New JUJU - Justine Henin on Retirement and the State of Women's Tennis." When asked the following: "Since you left the game, there hasn't been a player able to take over your No.1 ranking and keep it. Why?" Justine responded, " I think right now Serena [Williams] is the BEST PLAYER IN THE WORLD. But to be No.1 and stay No.1, you have to be consistent. [Jelena] Jankovic has to go to another level, I think. I hope she has the capacity. [Ana] Ivanovic proved how hard it is to deal with a new situation after she won the French."

The new rules mean players must let drug-testers know their whereabouts for a period of one hour on every day of the week – a measure which Nadal said makes players feel "like a criminal". The previous version of the rule obliged players to keep anti-doping authorities informed of their whereabouts on only five days a week. Britain's Andy Murray described the measures as "draconian", and Williams, speaking after her 6-1, 6-2 victory over Karolina Sprem in the second round of the Paris Open on Thursday, agreed. "It's too much," she said. "If I want to go on vacation to Barbados for one day, I shouldn't have to say I'm going to Barbados. "I'm always complaining to my agents. I never tell people where I am, because I like to do my own thing."

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) rule operates on a 'three strikes and out' basis over a period of 18 months, and Williams revealed that she had already fallen foul of the legislation. "One time, I was out at dinner and someone turned up at my house to test me. I think I might even have got a strike. "It's bizarre. I can't run home from dinner and get tested. It's very invasive." Despite her reservations, though, Williams accepts that WADA's stance helps safeguard the sport's reputation. "I think tennis is the purest sport out there," she said. "We won't have problems in tennis that we have in other sports, so it's definitely a pure sport and that's the only upside to it." Players who miss three surprise tests in 18 months face a possible two-year ban. American Mike Bryan has missed two already due to a flat tire in his car and a late breakfast out and fears against committing a third strike. Roger Federer, while not a huge fan of the system, has not gone so far as to criticise it like his colleagues.

Western & Southern Financial Group Women's Open (Cincinnati) - 08/07/10

Rogers Cup (Toronto) - 08/14/10

U.S. Open (Flushing Meadows) - 08/30/10

Toray Pan Pacific Open (Tokyo) - 09/27/10

China Open (Beijing) - 10/04/10

Generali Ladies Linz (Linz) - 10/11/10

Sony Ericsson Championships (Doha) - 10/25/10

Serena Wins 10th GRAND SLAM!

Serena & Rafa: Tennis on Water

WILL SERENA BE THE 2010 YEAR-END #1

SERENA'S AUSSIE '09 OUTLOOK

Serena: The Fight of a Champion

CAREER TITLES (Singles) - 37

2010 Wimbledon

2010 Australian Open

2009 WTA Tour Championship

2009 Wimbledon

2009 Australian Open

2008 US Open

2008 Family Circle Cup

2008 Sony Ericsson Open

2008 Bangalore Open

2007 Sony Ericsson Open

2007 Australian Open

2005 Australian Open

2004 China Open

2004 NASDAQ-100 Open

2003 Wimbledon

2003 NASDAQ-100 Open

2003 Open Gaz de France (Paris)

2003 Australian Open

2002 Sparkassen Cup (Leipzig)

2002 Toyota Princess Cup (Tokyo)

2002 US Open

2002 Wimbledon

2002 French Open

2002 Italian Open (Rome)

2002 NASDAQ-100 Open

2002 State Farm Classic (Scottsdale)

2001 Sanex Championships (Munich)

2001 Rogers and AT&T Cup (Toronto)

2001 Tennis Masters Series (Indian Wells)

2000 Toyota Princess Cup (Tokyo)

2000 estyle.com Classic (Los Angeles)

2000 Faber Grand Prix (Hanover)

1999 Grand Slam Cup (Munich)

1999 US Open

1999 Acura Classic (Los Angeles)

1999 Evert Cup (Indian Wells)

1999 Open Gaz de France (Paris)

Williams Sisters Join DSRL

Serena wins 8th Grand Slam Title

TENNIS WORD OF THE WEEK

Lob - a stroke in tennis where the ball is lifted high above the net with the intention of it going over the opposing player in the case of him being close to the net, thus nearly guaranteeing the point.

Serena's EBONY Mag Photoshoot

Serena Serves 15 Aces In Match!

Serena's SIGNATURE STATEMENT

SERENA STATISTICS / AWARDS

2010 ESPY Best Female Tennis Player

2010 - California Hall of Fame Inductee

2010 BET Subway Sportswoman of the Year

Serena and Venus are the only tennis players to play each other in 4 consecutive Grand Slam Finals

2010 - Serena became the 6th woman to hold the No. 1 ranking in singles and doubles simultaneously and the first to do so since Kim Clijsters in 2003

2009 WTA Doubles Team of the Year (w/ Venus)

2009 WTA Player of the Year

Serena is the ONLY woman to win 3 Laureus World Sports Awards. Only PERSON to have won more is Roger Federer (4)

2010 Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year

One of only 2 women (the other being Martina Navratilova) to have won a Major Tournament in 3 straight decades

2010 Guinness World Record - Only female to have won Hopman Cup Twice ('03 and '08)

Honored at 2003 Charleston for becoming 5th in history to complete non-calendar year Grand Slam; (The Serena Slam)

Achieved Grand Slam (age 21)

Doubles Career Golden Slam (w/ Venus); includes Olympics

Female Tennis Player of the Year (2003)

ESPY Female Athlete of the Year (2003)

Named by Time as one of the People Who Mattered (2002)

Named by People Magazine in Top 25 Most Intriguing People (2002)

Voted best female athlete in the world by AP and Spanish news agency EFE (2002)

Named one of BBC's Sports Personalities of the Year (2002)

Named by Ebony as one of 57 Most Intriguing African-Americans (2002)

Ranked No.7 among A&E and Biography Magazine's Top 10 most significant people (2002)

ITF Women's Singles World Champion (2002)

WTA Tour Player of the Year (2002)

One of the 12 Coolest Girls in Sports in SI For Women (2001)

World Team Tennis w/ Delaware Smash (2000)

Tour Doubles Team of the Year (w/ Venus) (2000)

One of People's 25 Most Intriguing People (1999)

Tennis Magazine Player of the Year (1999)

Tour Most Improved Player (1999)

Tennis Magazine/Rolex Rookie of the Year (1998)

Tour Most Impressive Newcomer Award (1998)

WTA "Looking For A Hero?" Ad

McDonald's Commercial

THE SERENA SLAM!

Serena was the last person (male or female) to hold all four Major Grand Slam Titles (at the same time): '02 FRENCH OPEN, '02 WIMBLEDON, '02 U.S. OPEN and '03 AUSTRALIAN OPEN. This accomplishment saw Serena join immortals of the game such as the late Maureen Connolly, Margaret Court, Steffi Graff and Martina Navratilova, the only other (female) players who have won four grand slam titles in a row.

Serena Williams: Diary of a Grand Slam Champion is a non-commercial fan blog / fan site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Serena Williams or SerenaWilliams.com. The purpose of this site is to provide fans with the latest information as it relates to tennis icon Serena Williams. The content within this site is obtained through internet searches and contributions, therefore I cannot control the source of images / pictures or articles. No copyright infrigment is intended, but if you are the owner of a picture (or article) used on this site and would like to have it removed, or want to be given full credit, please do not hesitate to contact me @ RRice27927@aol.com